1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to word processing systems and particularly to a system and method for detecting and correcting incorrect hand position of a computer user.
2. Description of the Related Art
A primary use of computers, especially personal computers, is xe2x80x9cword processing.xe2x80x9d Word processing programs running on personal computers have replaced the typewriter as the principal means for document production. In many office environments, every desk has a personal computer on it. A word processor allows a user to input the text of a document, such as a letter, into a computer and make revisions to it. For example, paragraphs can be easily moved around, misspelled words can be corrected, and words can be added or deleted. In addition, the document can be printed or stored in the computer for subsequent retrieval and updating. There are many such word processors commercially available that provide this functionality.
In producing documents, it is important that each word in a document is spelled correctly. In manual word processing systems (i.e. the typewriter), the only way to check the spelling is to manually review the document after it is typed. In computer word processors, a spell checking program (spell checker) is often used to check the spelling of the words in a document. A spell checker has an associated dictionary file that contains a list of correctly spelled words. To check the spelling of a word in a document, the spell checker searches the dictionary file for that word. If the word is contained in the dictionary file, then the word is determined to be spelled correctly. Otherwise, the word is determined to be misspelled. The spell checker typically reports the misspelling to the user and prompts the user for a corrected spelling. The spell checker can then replace the misspelled word with the correctly spelled word. The typical spell checker also allows the user to add words to the dictionary. For example, the dictionary may not include terms that are used in specialized fields, such as medicine or law.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,855 to Duncan IV et al., discloses a Word Processor Having A Spelling Corrector Adaptive To Operator Error Experience. The word processing system has a keyboard, an input display and/or a printer, together with a spelling dictionary stored within a memory, and an error signal generating device activated upon entry of an incorrect word. In addition, the memory of the device stores several kinds of correction informationxe2x80x94i.e. typographical correction, transposition reversal (i.e., relating to letters typed out of sequence within a word, such as xe2x80x9ctehxe2x80x9d when xe2x80x9cthexe2x80x9d is intended), and phonetic substitutionsxe2x80x94suitable for amending the incorrect word to display a trial word which matches one from the above mentioned stored dictionary. The amending occurs by depression of a special key whenever entry of an incorrect word activates the error signal device. When an incorrect word is detected, the reference teaches substituting all of the letters in the word with adjacent characters to either the left or right on the keyboard, which corresponds to laterally shifting both hands either to the left or the right by one character, and comparing the new word with a word in the dictionary. (See Duncan, column 19 lines 53 through column 20 line 29).
On a related topic, traditional keyboards are designed so that one size is applicable for all users. As a result, users with relatively small or large hands must adapt to a keyboard size that is not optimal for their particular hand size. This lack of keyboard size optimization may account for an increase in hand fatigue. In addition, the conventional computer keyboards require the user to type with their hands close together in an unnatural manner. It has been found that so called xe2x80x9csplitxe2x80x9d keyboards, which are split into a separate keyboard for each hand, are more comfortable for the user and produce a slightly faster typing speed as a result. However, such keyboards are generally more expensive and as such have not gained wide spread popularity.
Several attempts have been made to alleviate the problems associated with conventional keyboards. For example, various xe2x80x9cvirtual keyboardsxe2x80x9d have been developed. A xe2x80x9cvirtual keyboardxe2x80x9d is generically defined as a typing interface that omits traditional keys and, includes, for example, an apparatus that generates signals which can be interpreted as representing the typing of a key on a keyboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 to Prince discloses a Finger Mounted Computer Input Device. The apparatus provides for manually entering information into a computer wherein a pressure sensor is removably attached proximate to the tip of at least one, but preferably all, of the fingers of a hand for generating a pressure signal that corresponds to the pressure of the fingertip against a surface. A signal relay device, relays the signals of each of the sensors to a computer which calculates the relative positions of each finger on the surface and generates keyboard, mouse, graphics tablet, or other forms of input data
The Duncan patent referred to above does not disclose a correction that corresponds to a shift of the characters typed by an individual hand to determine whether or not a particular hand was shifted in relationship to the keyboard. In addition, the Prince patent and other virtual keyboards do not provide the ability to initialize and calibrate a virtual keyboard using information obtained from determining whether each one or both of the user""s hands are shifted in relationship to the keyboard.
The invention comprises a system and method for detecting and correcting incorrect hand position of a computer user. The method comprises receiving a plurality of characters from an input device and comparing the received characters with a plurality of entries contained in a dictionary word list. If the characters received match an entry in the dictionary word list, it is determined that the characters received correspond to the entry. If the received plurality of characters are not found in the dictionary word list, at least one of the plurality of characters are adjusted by shifting the at least one character in a direction to a new character. The plurality of characters including the at least one shifted character are compared with the plurality of entries contained in the dictionary word list. If the characters as shifted correspond to an entry contained in the dictionary word list, the incorrect hand position of the computer user is corrected based upon the shift in characters. These steps are performed at least one additional time if the shifted word is not found in the dictionary word list.
The step of adjusting at least one of the plurality of characters may comprise the step of shifting the characters typed by at least one hand of the user. The hands may be, for example, the left hand, the right hand or both hands. The characters may be adjusted, for example, by a shift of one or more horizontal character spaces in the left or right direction, thereby corresponding to a horizontal shift of the at least one hand by one or more character spacings. The shift may also be up or down.
Correcting the incorrect hand position of the computer user based upon the shift in characters may include substituting the shifted characters that correspond to an entry contained in the dictionary list for the typed or received characters. In addition, the number of shifts of the at least one character and the direction of the shift(s) may be stored in a memory module and subsequent received characters from the input device may be shifted in accordance with the number of shifts of the at least one character and the direction stored in the memory module.
The number of shifts and direction may also be stored and used to modify a character input device driver to account for the number of shifts of the at least one character in a virtual location of keyboard home keys and to determine subsequent input characters based upon the modified character input device driver.
A system for detecting and correcting incorrect hand position of a computer user, comprises a keyboard that receives a plurality of characters input by a user and a controller. The controller is comprised of memory, a dictionary word list and correction software. The controller interfaces with the keyboard to receive the plurality of characters input by the user. The controller is programmed to perform the following in conjunction with the software and/or separate modules:
i) compare the plurality of characters with entries in the dictionary word list
ii) determine that the received characters correspond to the word entry, if the received characters match an entry in the word list;
iii) adjust at least one of the plurality of characters received by shifting the at least one character in a direction to a new character if the received plurality of characters are not found in the dictionary word list;
iv) compare the plurality of characters including the at least one shifted character with the plurality of entries contained in the dictionary word list; and
v) correct for the incorrect hand position of the computer user if the shifted characters match an entry in the dictionary word list.